by Peter Kaplan

While expensive upgrades are sometimes a necessity, smart inexpensive upgrades can really make a difference on your total energy over-head. United Energy Consultants has compiled a Spring Shopping List for you that can have a dramatic impact on your bottom-line.

Energy-efficient light bulbs. White paper studies show that (LED) bulbs are at least 75 percent more efficient than conventional lightbulbs and also do not need to be changed nearly as frequently. Recent upgrades to LEDs provide lighting that is soothing, warm, and a quality light. They can be dimmed, and also used as accent lighting for your place of business. Although startup costs are a bit more, over the long haul you will reduce your consumption and therefore reduce your overhead by implementing smarter lighting. In addition to this, recent technology has made start-up costs much lower than they used to be.

Water Conservation. Implementing a slow flow system can reduce your energy costs substantially by using less hot water. Water-efficient shower heads and faucet aerators typically cost less than $20 and only take a few minutes to install. Also, don’t forget to repair leaks! Even a small leak over a long period of time can add up in price, and also damage walls, electric, and ductwork.

Insulation. Insulating your walls correctly can keep a home or business cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter by putting a layering between you and the natural seasonal elements. A lot of people insulate their walls but forget that insulating water pipes will reduce heat loss, and increase the water temperature as much as 4°F. This allows you to save energy by not running your HVAC system on high during peak weather days. Again, this is very inexpensive to install and can really make a difference.

Smart temperature thermostats. Automate your cooling and heating system so that when you are away from home or business you are not using as much energy. There is no reason to run your AC or heat to fully cool or heat your home or business while no one is there. Smart thermostats, optimize savings by scheduling in advance how and when you want your climate control to work. Many of these thermostats are controllable from your tablet and/or phone, and literally place you in the driver seat while you are not physically there. Prices vary due to functionality but there are many basic, inexpensive models on the market. Over time, these systems pay for themselves.

United Energy Consultants is a leading cost management energy consulting firm. They have been creating results driven solutions for NY Metro businesses for the last decade. Please inquire about our “0 out of pocket auditing” so you can see the power of energy savings.

Total Food Service is a monthly B2B foodservice publication and website covering foodservice and hospitality news, industry trends and exclusive interviews.

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